Each week, we bring you updates on the legal world.
Looking ahead…
Egypt is erupting with protests as charges against Hosni Mubarak, the country’s former president, were dropped. He appeared in the courtroom on a stretcher. Since his regime’s fall in 2011, he has been held at a military hospital. He may now live out the remaining years of his life as a free man. (New York Times)
A battle is heating up between the Satanic Temple and the state of Florida. After state officials allowed a few religious groups to set up displays in the Capitol Building, members of the Satanic Temple to applied set up their own display. The state officials refused to allow it. The Satanic Temple is now taking the issue to court, arguing that the State is discriminating on the basis of religion and preventing free expression. It’s not the first state where this has happened. (Slate)
Beginning today, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments about whether a threatening online exchange (think email or Facebook) constitutes a crime. The decision will likely attempt to define the bounds of free speech in the internet age. (The Atlantic)
And in case you missed it…
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was released from the hospital this past week after undergoing a heart procedure. Despite the surgery, she is expected back in the session this week. Rumors abound of an imminent retirement announcement, but for now, the seasoned Justice is holding tight to her spot on the Court. (MSNBC)
After last week’s decision, Ferguson is still reeling. A grand jury decided not to indict one of the city’s white police officers for the killing of an unarmed black man. The decision triggered widespread protests, rallies, looting, and mayhem in the St. Louis suburb. (ABC)
The European Parliament took a swing at Google this past week by voting to treat the company as a monopoly. The EU has been harder on major tech companies than the US government, issuing decisions and producing legislation aimed at loosening the stronghold of these companies on the market. (The New Yorker)
Image: Mosa’ab Elshamy via Photopin
